Are you a Lid?

2:49 PM

Ok, so I don’t know if this is normal or not, but I have a fear! Well I have several of them. But one that I think about a lot is the i...

Ok, so I don’t know if this is normal or not, but I have a fear! Well I have several of them. But one that I think about a lot is the idea that I could hold others back. Now I don’t think that I do this, but it is something that I am very aware of. No matter how much I grow as a leader or how little, I don’t ever want to hold the people that work with me back. I don’t want to be a lid so to speak. For me nothing is more exciting than watching leaders around me thrive. The most tangible way to replace yourself is allowing others to succeed in what God has made them to do. Even in those circumstances where the only part you played was moving out of the way you played a part in their success.

Now being in the church world and the business world I have met more than a few “lids”! Some have been great leaders and others have been very poor leaders but they all shared a few tangible traits.

So here are 3 questions for you to ask yourself!

Is celebrating success contingent on your participation – what I mean by that is that if when you team hits a homerun are you just as excited if you were not involved. Is your true measure of success if it can be tied to you? Leaders that tend to be lids are more concerned about them then they are the organization. This can be a very subtle thing. Typically they will be excited to a degree, but after a while it becomes evident in the way wins and success are celebrated and defined.

Do you always “have to watch your back” – it is so hard to thrive around a leader that always feels like they have look over their shoulder. They have this everyone is out to get me mentality. When something occurs where something is called into question they immediately assume the worst and address the situation in an adversarial role. Often times these leaders think everyone wants their job or is concerned that they might not get all the credit for ideas that are cultivated!

Do you ask the right questions - Some how, some way a long time ago 3 awful words in leadership came about. They are like the worst dirty words ever. I am talking about “I don’t know” and the thought that because you don’t know we should work together to find out the right answers. Often times leaders will spend time coming up with idea after idea hoping to say the right things rather than ask the right things and have the right conversations. This leader will often have trouble hearing great ideas and or understanding the complex and difficult process of cultivating an organizational success.

My addicition doesnt define me. Its a disease that I live with, but i will always be more than just an addiction. I fight every day to put the pieces back together. Thank you for taking part in my journey. You are not alone!